NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft Before Pro Days

For those football fans yearning for more NFL media fodder, just sit tight a little while longer. March madness isn't just for college basketball anymore.

For those enjoying the brief lull of NFL news, savor the relative silence while it lasts.

With college pro days set to begin in early March—NFL.com has a nifty roundup of the schedules—and free agency starting up on March 10, there will be no shortage of NFL news, rumors and prognostications, especially when it relates to the upcoming April draft. 

Team needs and desires will certainly shift between now and draft time as problem areas are sorted through free agency, but there is still a wealth of information to work with in the wake of the NFL combine. 

Let's take a look at a first-round mockup of what the draft might look like in April.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington Redskins	Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
10	St. Louis Rams	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
13	New Orleans Saints	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
14	Miami Dolphins	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
15	San Francisco 49ers	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
16	Houston Texans	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
17	San Diego Chargers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
23	Detroit Lions	Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
24	Arizona Cardinals	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
27	Dallas Cowboys	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Miss. St
28	Denver Broncos	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
29	Indianapolis Colts	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	Seattle Seahawks	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
32	New England Patriots	Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma

Combine as Kingmaker

Within the overall battle to become one of the top players drafted, there are the always-intriguing position melees, as players jockey to become the first prospects drafted at their respective positions.

While opinions are fluid and subject to change as time passes and pro days/team needs start factoring in, the combine is often the first major milestone on a player's rise to the pinnacle of his position. When a player dominates in Indy, it can be tough to shake him from his lofty perch.

Let's take a look at two players who shifted consensus at the NFL combine and have solidified their status as the best at their respective crafts.


Jameis Winston over Marcus Mariota

Jameis Winston was the top overall pick and top quarterback on a vast number of mocks heading into the combine, but off-field concerns, an apparent shoulder scare and the myriad talents of Marcus Mariota kept him from being considered a surefire top pick.

However, after an awe-inspiring throwing performance at the combine and some reportedly impressive interview sessions, it's tough to see any team taking Mariota over Winston at this point. 

In any case, 31 teams won't have to make that decision, as Ian Rapoport relays, via NFL Network:

Winston went a perfect 16-of-16 in his throwing session, an essentially unblemished performance that displayed his elite arm strength and accuracy, especially when throwing downfield or toward the sidelines.

CBS 11's Bill Jones also noted the NFL Network crew raving about Winston's football IQ during the combine:

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman also relayed from the combine that Winston had dispelled notions about his questionable behavior in Indianapolis:

"

Now, keep in mind, Johnny Manziel did well in interviews last year as well. He's a train wreck who fooled almost everyone, especially the Cleveland Browns.

But I'm told by three different sources who interviewed Winston, including someone who was part of the Manziel interview process last year, that Winston is no Manziel.

In fact, Manziel's name has come up here often as teams felt Manziel conned them. They went into interviews with Winston armed with a great deal of skepticism, but Winston, from what I'm told, has beaten down that cynicism. At least for now.

"

Now that Winston has had the chance to better assuage teams' fears concerning his maturity levels, the comparisons to Mariota should narrow in to on-field performance.

Winston possesses the better arm, is coming out of a pro-style offense as opposed to a cue card-based spread attack and has unbelievable pocket presence to make up for his documented lack of athleticism. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your top quarterback in the 2015 NFL draft.

Kevin White over Amari Cooper

Alabama's Amari Cooper had as impressive a college football season as you're going to find from a wide receiver, reeling in 127 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns despite the fact it was exceedingly obvious either Blake Sims or Jake Coker would be targeting the Crimson Tide speedster on a number of plays (DeAndrew White was second on the team in catches with 40).

However, all that talent and the superb game film that comes with it may not be enough to make him the top wideout in the 2015 draft in the wake of Kevin White's outstanding combine performance.

A 4.35-second 40 time at 6'3"—two inches taller than Cooper—is phenomenal and likely induces panic in defensive coordinators across the NFL. Cooper is no slouch in the athleticism department, but it's tough to compete with the numbers that White put up.

Player	40-yard dash	225 Bench	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump	Shuttle	3-Cone Drill
White	4.35	23	36.5	10'3"	4.14	6.92
Cooper	4.42	N/A	33	10'	3.98	6.71

NFL analyst Mike Mayock stated that his 40 time "officially makes him a freak," per NFL.com's Mike Huguenin.

The West Virginia product may have only had one great season in college, but he projects as an elite downfield threat due to his height, speed and ability to fight for and high-point the pigskin.

Talent evaluators ranking White in a class of his own would appear to be hard-pressed to find naysayers. White himself certainly isn't one to dispel the notion that he is indeed a special snowflake in the wideout ranks.

“I don't feel that any receiver can do what I can do,” White said on Feb. 23, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Whether it's blocking, creating space, taking a tunnel screen to the house, I do it all. I’m not saying that to be cocky, just confident. I feel like I'm one of a kind."

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah and Sports Illustrated's Peter King all have the Oakland Raiders taking White at No. 4 overall, ahead of Cooper, in their post-combine mock drafts. Cooper is brilliant enough that it's not a complete consensus—CBS Sports has him as the No. 5 overall prospect, three spots ahead of White—but the West Virginia product certainly seems to have a draft edge at this point.

Cooper's ultra-crisp route running and strong hands practically ensure he'll be something of a success at the next level, but the explosive White just might have the greater ceiling due to his top-flight athleticism.